Rs 27 cr for infrastructure facelift of Talakad `panchalinga darshan’
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
BANGALORE, JUL 16: Karnataka’s BJP government headed by chief minister B S Yeddyurappa is making all out efforts to ensure infrastructure facilities for the lakhs of pilgrims attending the famous `Panchalinga Darshan’ festivities at Talakad in T. Narasipur taluk, about 45 kms from Mysore, during November .
Rural Development Minister Shobha Karandlaje, who is in-charge of Mysore district, held a high-level meeting of officials for review of the infrastructure development activities and also renovation of the temples around Talakad.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, which was attended by Mysore district deputy commissioner P Manivannan and other senior officials, Karandlaje said Rs 27 crore would be released from different departments to the district administration to provide basic facilities to visiting pilgrims, including drinking water and laying roads around the temple.
The minister directed the officials to execute all road works well before the commencement of festivities in November. Steps would be taken to provide accommodation facilities for pilgrims visiting the temples.
The temple town of Talakad is located on the left bank of the river Cauvery. It has gained prominence as a seat of power of Gangas, Kadambaas, Cholas, Chalukyas, Rastrakutas and Vijayanagar empire.
The glimpse of five Shiva Lingas, believed to be the five faces of Shiva, - Vaidyeshwara, Pataleshwara, Maruleshwara, Mallikarjuneshwara and Arakeshwara - is Panchalinga Darshana.
The five temples used to be covered by sand dunes and the sites were excavated only during the Panchalinga Darshana festivities, the Department of Archaeology took up excavation work in the early 1970s and the temples and other historic sites have been protected with walls and other barricades that prevent the accumulation of sand that used to submerge the temples.
Though pilgrims visit the temples throughout the year, tradition has it that a glimpse of the Panchalingas is significant when the zodiacal constellation attains a specific combination and special poojas are offered at all the five temples simultaneously as part of the ancient tradition of seeking divine blessings for the rulers and people of the country.
Tradition has it that the solemn `panchalinga darshan’ festivals are held once in 12 years with 1993 and 2006 being the most recent occasions when the festivals were organised in a grand scale. In fact, the previous H D Kumaraswamy-led JD(S)-BJP government had spent Rs 42 crore in connection with the festivities held during November 2006, when H D Revanna was the public works minister.